2013 CB Draft: Western First Round: Dallas(3) vs Houston(6)

[nickagneta]

Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets


Dallas
Guards:  Steve Nash, Gary Neal, Eric Gordon, Brandon Knight, Terrence Williams
Forwards: Josh Smith, Luol Deng, Tyler Hansbrough, Jonas Jerebko, Reggie Bullock, Jason Smith
Centers: Al Jefferson, Chris Kaman, Byron Mullens
Coach: Kevin McHale

Presser: http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=67442.msg1545577#msg1545577

Houston
Guards: James Harden, Goran Dragic, Jason Terry, Will Bynum, Derek Fisher, Jimmer Fredette
Forwards: Nicolas Batum, Tayshaun Prince, Boris Diaw, Kenyon Martin, Kenneth Faried
Centers: Marcin Gortat, Nazr Mohammed
Coach: Brian Shaw

Presser: http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=67442.msg1547171#msg1547171


Polls open at 12 noon EST Sept. 9th. Close 11:59:59PM  Sept. 9th. Here are the voting guidelines for this round:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=67476.msg1547496#msg1547496

[dark_lord]

this might be the toughest first round matchup imo

[fitzhickey]

this might be the toughest first round matchup imo

7 game series with Dallas coming out on top

[KCattheStripe]

Leaning Houston. one of the few teams who can go small and still bother Josh Smith.

[BigAlTheFuture]

this might be the toughest first round matchup imo

7 game series with Dallas coming out on top

With all due respect, fitz, don't think you have enough firepower to beat me in this series. I don't see a legit number one scoring option on your team. While your starting 5 is very impressive, I don't think Al Jefferson and Josh Smith can carry this team past the first round. Steve Nash will not have the energy to play 33+ minutes and I don't think Brandon Knight will be ready to handle heavy minutes in the playoffs. Your squad is good, but I view it as more of a regular season team. Don't think a 40 year old Steve Nash and 2nd options in Smith and Jefferson can get past Houston.

I'm picking my Houston in 6.

[nickagneta]

My opinion of Dallas was that the PGs would do them in defensively and put too much pressure on interior defense for them to hold teams down. That said, this is one of the few teams where giving the ball to Dragic to exploit that weakness means possibly taking the ball out of Harden;s hands, where in the playoffs, he would be most effective.

Gonna hafta think on this after much discussion goes on first.

[McHales Pits]

Dallas just slightly IMO

[Fafnir]

My opinion of Dallas was that the PGs would do them in defensively and put too much pressure on interior defense for them to hold teams down. That said, this is one of the few teams where giving the ball to Dragic to exploit that weakness means possibly taking the ball out of Harden;s hands, where in the playoffs, he would be most effective.

Gonna hafta think on this after much discussion goes on first.

They might have Harden at PG though, try to force Nash onto him or someone big.

Batum/Prince at the wings with Harden? Definitely going to need to read the discussion.

[ronaldo943]

I think I'm going Houston.

[Roy H.]

The "cheap" analysis:

Big Al > Gortat
Smith > Faried
Deng > Batum
Gordon < Harden
Nash > Dragic


Knight + Neal > Terry + Bynum
Bullock (or Jerebko) < Prince
Hansborough + Smith > Diaw + Martin
Kaman > Mohammed

That's not necessarily a legitimate way to look at the series, but as a quick and dirty assessment, Dallas just has a lot more talent, even if Houston has the best player.

[fitzhickey]

this might be the toughest first round matchup imo

7 game series with Dallas coming out on top

With all due respect, fitz, don't think you have enough firepower to beat me in this series. I don't see a legit number one scoring option on your team. While your starting 5 is very impressive, I don't think Al Jefferson and Josh Smith can carry this team past the first round. Steve Nash will not have the energy to play 33+ minutes and I don't think Brandon Knight will be ready to handle heavy minutes in the playoffs. Your squad is good, but I view it as more of a regular season team. Don't think a 40 year old Steve Nash and 2nd options in Smith and Jefferson can get past Houston.

I'm picking my Houston in 6.

Outside of harden, who on your team is gonna score
Gortat?
Faried?
I don't think so
I have 2 above average scorers in Gordon and Big Al, while you have one above average scorer. If anyone is lacking in firepower it is Houston. Al is better than Gortat on the offensive end, and smith can help cover him on the defensive end. The only advantage in the starting lineup is harden. Neal and knight are better off the bench than Neal and terry. Kaman is better than Nazr, smith and hansborough are better than diaw and Martin. You may have the superstar talent but my team is vastly more talented overall.
I don't think this team could score much outside of Harden

Dallas in 6 or 7

[fitzhickey]

On another note how will Dragic and Harden coexist
If you give Dragic, Nash's former protegee, the ball to take it to Nash, that eliminates Harden's biggest strength, or you play Harden at point, Nash would be taken off altogether, eliminating that weakeness
I think my team is just too talented

[Kane3387]

I do think big al will be extra motivated against his old team.

[fitzhickey]

I do think big al will be extra motivated against his old team.

he will average 25 and 12 while overpowering Gortat with ease

[indeedproceed]

Goran Dragic and James Harden should be fine together IMO. Neither are pass first players, but a combo of Dragic/Harden/Batum should be pretty good at facilitating for the unit as a whole.